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No. 608,9l9. Patanted Aug. 9, 1898.

L'. A sl-:LL: WIRE STRIPPING TO0L.

(Application tiled July 8, 1896.. Renewed Jan. 26, 1898.)

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LEROY A. SELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO MEREDITII O. SULLIVAN, OF SAME PLACE.

lrWIRE'-sTFnPPINe TOOL.

srncrrrcATroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,919, dated August 9, 189s. Applicationiiled .Tuly 8, 1896. Renewed January 26, 1898. Serial No. 668,082. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LEROY A. SELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in W'ire-Strippin g Tools, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention consists of a combination-tool,

and relates to that class of combination-tools used by linemen and electrical-wire fitters in installation work, wiring houses, trolleylcars, dac., being especially adapted for use in any Work where heavily-insulated wire is used and it is necessary to cut the insulation from the wires. before the same can be joined. The tool is also adapted for making what are known as Western Union joints in tele-` graph-line wiring.

My invention is fully illustrated in the ac-` companying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View, on a reduced scale, of the improved tool. Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional view of the jaws of the tool on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of said jaws on the line 3 3,

Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the lower jaw on the line 4 4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the jaws of a modified form of the tool. Fig. 6 is anenlarged sectional view, on the line G 6, of the tool shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of another form of the tool. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view, on anenlarged scale, of the knives used for transversely 'cutting the in` ,sulation on the wire; and Fig. 9 is a view of are formed integralwiththe handles A', byr

which the toolmay be operated. 'lhe upper jaw carriesa knife B for cutting through the insulation which covers the wires, said knife,

. and d4 are adapted to these slots.

i as shown in Fig. l, being formed with and disposed in the center of a concave roller or drum B'which'is held in the jaw by means of a sot# screw b. `Thisknife is adjustable laterally from and toward the jaw, so as to accommodate wires of varying diameter, vthe roller B permitting it to cut through the insulation without injuring the wire.

C is a curved guide and support for the wire while the insulation is being cut fromthe same, said guide being mounted on a plate c, adapted to a dovetailed groove in the lower jaw, as i shown in Fig. 4, and said plate being securely Yheld in the'lower Ajaw by means of a set-screw lc', so that it is adjustable up and down to accommodate wires of different diameters, the main reason for making the knife and wiresupport adjustable beingto insure the cutting of the insulation directly through the middle of the same.

D, D', and D2 are knives secured to the jaws by means of suitable set-screws ,d', d2, d3, and d4, saidlknives being for use in cutting the insulation on the wire transversely after it has been cut longitudinally, the insulation being then pulled from the wire by gripping it between the jaws of the tool. In Figs. l, 5, and 8 I have shown three knives adapted to be mounted on the jaws, the knife D being fixed to the lower jaw by means of the setscrew d, the knife D" being fixed to the upper jaw, and the knife D2 being adj ustably mount ed on the upper jaw, so as to be moved from and toward the knife D,'the knives D and D2 being cut off at the corners, as shown, so as to provide an opening to accommodate the wire when the insulation is being cut. To permit adjustment of the knife D2, it is slotted at 0c, x', and m2, and the set-screws d', d2,

As an additional hold for the knife D' the set-screw cl3 passes through the top of the same. These "knives areformed with a projecting lip d5,

which engages the reduced under side of the jaws A A, so that when the knives are cutting the strain comes on the jaws and not on the set-screws which hold the knives, the reduced portions'of the jaws also "serving to accommodate the insulation of the wire while it is being cut transversely. The ends of the IOO jaws are projected beyond the cutting-knife I3 in the form of the reduced lips A2, which are useful for twisting the ends of the wire when connections are being made, and `to facilitate this operation I form a hole a in these lips A2, so that a wire placed in this hole will be guided or held, as the case may require, when another wire is to be twisted around the same. Lips of similar character may be formed on the sides of the jaws of the tool, and such lateral lips I have shown at A8 in Figs. 1 and 2, the lips being provided with the grooves a2, as shown.

The arrangement of the holes in the ends of the jaws of the tool and the grooves in the laterally-projecting jaws a2, which when the jaws are closed form a hole at right angles to the hole in the jaws, make this tool particu-` larly adapted for twisting one wire upon an` other. For instance, a wire to which it is desired to connect another is placed in the holes in the ends A2 of the jaws, and the wire to be wrapped around it is laid in the grooves in the jaws A3 parallel to the jaws of the tool. Now if the wire passed through the holes inthe ends A2 of the jaws be held the tool can be turned around said wire, and the wire'carried by the projecting jaws A3 will be laidl For the purpose of! around the other Wire. holding a wire so that another wire may be laid around it I also provide the grooves ai between the jaws of the tool at the rear of the hinge connection.

Instead of having a circular knife, as shown in Figs. land 2, I may use a straight knife, as B2, (shown in Figs. 5 and 6,) which is mounted in a guide E, formed integral with the upper jaw of the tool, the knife being held in place by means of a set-screw e, so that it is:

adjustable up and down, so as to accommodate different diameters of wire. I have shown a further modified form of this knife in Fig. 7 at B2, this knife being adapted to a guide formed integral with the upper jaw and being secured in place by a set-screw c2,

which passes through a slot e3, formed in thel knife-blade B2.

The form of tool shown in Fig. 5 has a rollerguide E for supportin g the wire while the insulation is being cut, and in Fig. 7 I have shown a guide E2, formed integral with the lower jaw. Either form may be used without departing from my invention, the main idea being to so form the guide or rest for the wire that while the insulation is being cut it will offer but little, if any, resistance in the wire as the knife is drawn along the same.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a modification of the knife, in which an arm F carries a roller forv This knife may be heldA support, and the dotted lines show the position the knife assumes when it is desired to cut the insulation on the wire. Such a form of tool is adapted only for the slitting of the wire, though it could be so arranged that the insulated wire could be slipped in behind the knife and against the blade, s0 as to cut the insulation transversely.

The forms of knife-blades shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 8 are preferred; but in Fig. 7 I have shown a pair of knives that may be used, these knives, however, being Without the projecting under lip d5, which seats against the reduced portion of the jaws. These knives G are provided with half-round graduated depressions g in their cutting edges, which serve to prevent the cutting of the wire while the insulation is being cut in the same manner as the angular depression or aperture 003 in the knives D D2. These knives G are provided with the slots g', so that they may be adjusted from and toward each other to increase or diminish the apertures formed by the depressions g, and they are held in place by the set-screws g2.

To hold the jaws together when gripping a piece of wire, especially when it is desired to turn the tool with the wire in the jaws, Iprovide the link H, which is connected to the handle of thelower j aw, the end of the handle being bent around the link to afford a bearing for it. This link is bent at It, and this bend is so formed that when the link is turned down, as shown by dotted lines, it will be held by the handle out of the way when not in use.

I prefer to mount the combined roller and ripping-knife (shown in Fig. 2) and the rollerguide for the wire (shown in Fig. 6) on spindles Y, provided with shoulders fl/ for the IOO rear ends of the rollers and secured to said rollers by flattening the ends into the cavity y', formed in the ends of the openings in rollers, as may be readily seen on reference to the figures of the drawings above mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a tool of the character described, a wire-support, and a knife for cutting the insulation on the wire as the wire or support are m'oved longitudinally in relation to one another. A

2. In a .tool of the character described, a wiresupport, and a knife for cutting the insulation on the same, said wire-support and knife being mounted on carriers movable from and toward each other, substantially as described.

3. In a tool of the character described, a

wire-support and a knife for cutting the in-V IIO IIC

trally disposed with regard to the guide so as i combination of the upper and lower jawsv hinged together, the upper jaw carrying a knife for cutting through the insulation on the wire, and the lower jaw carrying a guide for said wire while it is being out, said knife being centrally disposed with regard to the guide so as to cut through the insulation at the center of the same.

8. In a tool of the character described, a wire-support and a knife'for cutting the insulation on thewire mounted upon members hinged together, said knife being adjustable from and toward the member carrying the same, so as to accommodate wires of different diameter. V

9. In a tool of the character described, a wire-support, and a knife for cutting through the insulation on the wire mounted upon members hinged together, said knife and said wiresupport being adjustable from and toward the members carrying the same so as to accommodate wires of diiferent diameter.

10. In a toolof the character described, a wire-support, and a device for cutting the insulation upon the wire consisting of a circular knife -formed integral with and disposed in the center of a concaved roller or drum which formsan additional guide for the wire and insures the cutting of the insulation Vthrough the center of the same.

11. The combination in a tool of the character described, of the upper and lower jaws pivotally connected together, means for cutting the insulation longitudinally, and a series of knives carried by the jaws whereby the insulation may be cut transversely, sub'- stantially as described.

12. AThe combination in a tool of the character described, of the upper and lower jaws pivotally connected together, a reduced portion on said jaws beyond their pivotal connection, and a series of knives adapted to said reduced portionffor cutting the insulation transversely, substantially as described.

13. The combination in a tool of the char acter described, of the upper jaw carrying a vertically-adjustable ripping-knife, and the lower jaw carrying a 'fixed guide for the wire.

14. In a tool of the character described, a

device for cutting through the insulation on the Wire and guiding the wire `at the same time, consisting of a combined knife and concaved roller made in one piece, said knife and roller being mounted on a spindle adjustably secured in the upper jaw of the tool.

15.4 In a tool of the character described, means for cuttingthrough the insulation on thewire, consisting of a combined knife and roller, and a spindle carrying the same whereby it may be mounted in the jaw of the tool, said spindle having an enlarged port-ion adapted to a depression in the roller whereby said roller may be held on the spindle without lateral movement, said `roller having an enlarged end into whichthe end of the spindle may be upset so as to loosely confine the roller against the shoulder;

16. The combination in a tool of the character described, of the upper and lower jaws of the same, a reduced portion on said jaws, a pair of knives carried by the reduced por= tion of the upper jaw, one of said knives being adjustable from and toward the other, and a fixed knife carried by the reduced portion of the lower jaw, said knives adapted to cut the insulation transversely.

V 17 The combination in a tool of the character described, of the upper and lower jaws of the saine, a reduced portion on said jaws, and a series of knives adapted to said reduced portion, said knives being held in place by suitable set-screws, and provided with shoulders bearing against the reduced portion of the jaws whereby the strain in cutting is taken off of the set-screws, substantially as described.

18. The combination of the jaws of the tool,- handles connected to said jaws, and a link hung to one of said handles and free to swing over the other to hold them together, said link having side legs with lateral bends whereby it can be caused to engage with and be retained in inoperative position upon the handle towhich it is pivoted, substantially as described.

19. In wire-nippers and analogous devices,

IOO

a pair of pincers having laterally-projecting LEROY A, SELL.

Witnesses:

MURRAY C. BOYER, .Minus S, SULLIVAN. 

